Crate or box



G. A. McLEAN.

CRATE OR BOX.

FILED OCT. 17, 1921.

l/VVEIVTOR 650E054 /%ZMA/ noted dlttiiln it, ll

M, i in r v i. n. t

tIEIEtiMiIlEl (Ht EUIEI.

Application filed tictober 17, 1921. tieriul lilo. litithlliltl.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnonon A. MGLEAN, u citizen oi? the United States, and it resident of Little Rock, in the county of Pulu-ski and State of Arkansas, have invented it new and improved Crete or Box, 01 which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

'fhis invention relutes to improvements in crates, particularly to the type of crates or boxes commonly en'iployed for shipping :truits and vegetables.

An object 01' the invention is to provide it crate oi? this character which can he folded so that the empty crates will occupy it Very smell. amount oiispzice.

it still turther object is to provide a crate which will be light in weight, yet strong and. durable in use, simple and practical in construction, end exceedingly inexpensive to n ion utecture.

l i ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel ieutures of construction and conihinutions and 1H? rungernents oi? parts will be n'iore 'iully hereinzitter described and. pointed out in t he clu ii n in the uccoinpenying druwiugs:

Figure l is u perspective view oil: the crate or box zui-iseinhled;

Figure 2 is :1 similar View showing the crute disassembled and partially folded; end

l ip'ure 3 an enlarged view in section on the line 3--i oi? liigure hotel-ring in detail. to the (5 )l].-iii'li(3tl( 3l of my iniproved crate which is ot rectangular hoxlilae formation, it Will be seen that the side WlllS oi the some consist of a plurality oil longitudinal slats such as 1 secured at their ends to corner posts 2. The end sections or Walls oi? the crate comprise verticul sluts 3 connected in; their upper and lower ulges to cross pieces such as The cross pieces extend appreciably beyond the slots and straddle the side Walls 01' the box. lit will he noted that when the box is :issenibled, the side walls nre mirmigzed with the corner posts of the opposite wells presented towards each other end the cross pieces -lstruddling the ells are pivot-nil connected to the corner posts in any approved inunner. For the purpose of pivotuliy connectin" the side Walls and the end sections, .l pre.,-

eruhly utilize neils such as 55, passing;

through the cross pieces and into the tops or hottoins us the case may he oi? the corner posts 2. The cross pieces are bored to receive these nuils. 1t \rhl be seen that the crate 1n ey be readily :tolded until the corner posts of one side will engage the intermediztte portion of the other side wall at which time all oi the Wei s of the her; Will he in u parallel plane. The wells are retained against folding hy hon hottoni which cone prises a plurality of longitudinul slots 5 nailed or otherwise secured at their ends to cross pieces (3. it box: top 7 similar to the her; bottom is also provided tor closing the crate.

For shippiiug' or handling enipty crates or bones, the einl Wells unit side vi ulls are pivotully connected end assembled by use oi the j iivotel nuils es olune described. The topsend hottonis ot the boxes or crates ore lunidled sepurzrteiy until the crate is desired for use. ilhc top end bottom sections inuy' then be attached by driving; at single unit through Utt'li corner ot the top end bottom sections into'thc ends oi the corner posts 4i, thereby providing;- uv strou and rigid crate. rtltl'iough l luive illustrated one oi the preferred mnhndinicnts of my invention, it will. be evident that vuricus hilt and ultei'ntions might be nuuie p in the gen erol term and orrirngeinents oil? the ports de scribed Without deport in; :troni the invention, und hence i do not ivisu to limit my .selii to the precise or i not truth, but shall]. consider inyseil such slight chnngcs and 2tli$.l'a1ill()il$ us tirlv :tull within the spirit run scope of the onpended claim. 7

I claim:

A crate comprising side walls. end i ts rigidly connected to the inner sides of the side r-xolis, top and bottom cross pieces straddling th ei n opposite onus oi: the lutt s nailed, at their up verticul eh. per and lower ends to the inner sides ot the top end bottom cross pieres zit ouch end of the crate, end no pivotullv securing the opposite ends o! the cro s p'bces to the opposite eiuls oi the posts we uses oi such vi'vots hein spaced from inner sides of th 1 ince u, distr 

